AHC: Make Brazil annexes the whole of South America

The challenge is here.Make Brazil annexes the whole of SA without the USA destroying Brazil

The first part is hard, the second part is easy. Going back to a similar thread a few weeks ago, a POD that lets this happen is early enough that the US couldn't do anything about it even if they wanted to. Assuming they'd even care what happens in South America in the first place, which is unlikely. If the US has the power to destroy Brazil pre-1900 then this timeline is a USA-wank, not a Brazil one.

I think for this to happen you'd not only need to strengthen Brazil pretty dramatically and likely attract a lot of immigrants you'd need to break up Spain's control over the continent. Perhaps give the British La Plata but then they fail to attract significant colonists, lowering the population making it plausible for Brazilian purchase/occupation when Britain is occupied elsewhere.
 
A Portugal that's stronger than Spain in the Iberian peninsula should be a good start. The 200-league line west of the Azores might just be pushed farther westward by the time an alt-Treaty of Tordasillas comes around.
 
The USA could not do anything to Brazil. In fact, in several periods, the Brazilian fleet could have completely destroyed the US Navy, and invading Brazil is beyond XIX century's USA capabilities. So that's the easy part.

Now, annexing South America? Brazil could attempt an invasion of the Southern Cone, probably take Paraguay, Uruguay and even Buenos Aires. But they would quickly get bogged down in the occupation. If you read about South American history, gaucho armies rise up very easily, and are hard to defeat. They would live out of the land and constantly strike down at Brazilian armies and their local allies, and probably erupt in full-blown rebellion when Brazilian armies are distracted. The terrain in Argentina is also hard beyond the Pampas, with dry valleys, dense dry forests occupied by 'indomitable indians' (and they were called that for a reason) and hills. Unless Brazil is ready to fully commit its resources to occupation or engange in enthnic cleansing, I don't see them controlling effectively anything beyond the Paraná river in Argentina, perhaps only by proxies and friendly caudillos (and knowing the independence of caudillos, that is very doubtful.

I do not see any plausible way for Brazil to invade Chile or the countries of the Altiplano, even if they somehow got there, the terrain is even harsher. Invading Colombia and Venezuela would mean naval invasions or crossing the Amazon; one hard, the other impossible.

Brazil could be a continental hegemon and install friendly regimes all over (in fact, it did intervene heavily in Argentina's civil wars), and it could potentially invade the Southern Cone, but it would be extremely costly and would be harassed at every turn. Eventually it would be forced to let it go or engage in outright colonization. None of those prospects look very good for Argentina & co. but neither for an overstreched Brazil.
 
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